Quesnel Search and Rescue saw a decrease in the number of tasks they were called out to compared to last year.
Director and Manager, Bob Holowenko, said they had a total of fifteen, eight were Ground-SAR activities, three of those leading to subjects being reunited with family, and/or transferred to the care of other agencies (RCMP/BE Emergency Health Services).
He added Quesnel Search and Rescue Swiftwater Rescue Team were tasked with three rescues on the Fraser River.
Quesnel SARs largest activation this year was to serve the Nazko Valley and Baker Creek areas with Evacuation Orders.
Holowenko said their largest mutual aid activity was a large search in the Saik’uz First Nation territory, south of Vanderhoof, where QSAR volunteers attended for three days alongside many other teams in the region.
They also assisted in a search for a missing man near Logan Lake.
In 2023 Quesnel Search and Rescue hosted regional training for Tracking teams across the North, participated in leadership training, certified in a number of new Rope Technical Rescue skills, and doubled the size of their Winter Response team.
Holowenko said 2023 was also a training-heavy year as the COVID-19 years caused a massive backlog in certifications and renewals.
Members attended 191 training sessions representing over 1200 volunteer hours, in addition to that, there were 104 meetings, workshops, community outreach, and other activities representing nearly 800 additional hours.
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